A candidate on a PGWP, working full-time in Toronto, was confused about why they weren't getting the CRS points for a 'valid job offer' and what to answer on the LMIA questions.
What the thread explained:
- A PGWP does not make your job a 'valid job offer'. Holding a PGWP (an open work permit) does not exempt your job offer from the LMIA requirement for CRS purposes. Working full-time for an employer on an open permit is simply not what IRCC means by a valid job offer.
- What actually qualifies. For job-offer points, the offer must be supported by an LMIA, or you must hold an employer-specific (closed) work permit that is LMIA-exempt — for example an Intra-Company Transfer (ICT), where a multinational moves an employee from its overseas office to its Canadian office. Open permits (PGWP, OWP) never qualify.
- On the profile questions, answering honestly means you do not claim a qualifying job offer unless you have an LMIA or an LMIA-exempt closed permit.
Historical note: this thread is from the era when Express Entry awarded CRS points for arranged employment; IRCC has since changed job-offer point rules, so verify the current policy before relying on these points in your score planning.